Lap vise and bench



y 1953 B. E. BIGELOW 2,638,805

LAP VISE AND BENCH Filed June 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Benjamin .5 Bigelaw I N VEN TOR.

Horny May 19, 1953 B. E. BIGELOW LAP VISE AND BENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1952 Fig. 3

Benjamin E. Riga/0w INVENTOR.

BY 29M),

Patented May 19, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nsrv snlmn BENCH Benjamin EL Bigelow, Warren, Pa. Application June 2, "1952, Serial No. 291,183

This invention relates in general to vises, and more particularly to ises which may beconveniently mounted in the lap of a person.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved vise construction which includes a bench portion, said bench portion being adapted to be secured on the upper portion of a persons leg, around the chest of a person, or any other suitable portion of the persons body.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved vise construction which includes a base of a generally cruciform configuration, said base having secured thereto a pair of upstanding clamping members similar in shape and having jaws at the upper end thereof, and novel means for urging one of the jaws toward the other.

With these objects definitely in View, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter delarly pointed out in the appended claim, and \lustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application and in Whl Fia g 1 is a perspective view of the vise const u which is the subject of this invention, and show the details of the various portions thereof;

Figure 2 is n enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view t ken substantially upon the plane ind d by the ection line 2-2 of Figure 1 and shows the generahconstruction of the vise of Figure 1, a portion orthe actuating lever for urging the jaws of the vise together being broken away, a clamping position of the lever being shown in dotted lines; g 4

Figure 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of Figure 2 and shows the general relationship of the various elements of the vise;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line, 4-4 of Figure 2 and shows the manner in which the spring for urging the jaws forward is secured to one of the clamping members;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one end of the bench portion of the vise construction and shows the manner in which a bench containing strap" is adjustably connected thereto;

Figure 6 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the vise construction of Figure 1 and \scribed in detail in the specification, particul'Claim. ('01. 81-21) 2 r shows the supporting bench therefor fastened to the leg of the person, the vise construction being rotated in substantially from its position illustrated in Figure 1; and

Figure '7 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe vise portion and shows the general construction thereof.

Similar characters of reference designate simi: lar or identical elements and portions through-f out the specification and throughout the different views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated in Figure 1 an improved vise construction, which is the subject of this invention, the vise construction including a bench portion, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral l0, and a" vise portion, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral l2. The bench portion it includes a flat, rectangular block which has rounded corners l4 and which has secured to one end thereof one end of a flexible strap 16. The strap i6 is se-' cured to said one end of the rectangular block,

which is referred to in general by the reference f numeral 18, by a plurality of fasteners'ml. The flexible strap 16 is provided'adjacent theother end thereof with a plurality of longitudinally" spaced slots 22 which are of a generally key-hole shape. The other end of the block IEis'pr'o-L vided with a centrally located T-headed fastener in the form of a screw 24 which is adapted to be selectively engaged in one of the key-hole slots for clamping the bench portion iii to a leg or chest of a person, or any other suitablesup port. The block 18 has inscribed on the face thereof adjacent one side edge a scale 26 for measuring articles utilized in connection with operation of the vise.

The vise portion 12 includes a base 28 which is generally cruciform in outline and includes a pair of oppositely disposed arms 36 and 32. The

arms 30 and 32 have secured thereto similarly shaped upstanding clamping members 34 and 36, respectively. The clamping member 34 includes a vertical lower portion 38 which is bifurcated to include a notch 40 and a pair of downwardly extending legs 42. The lower ends of the legs 42 are disposed on opposite sides of the arm 30 and secured to the base 28 by a plurality of fasteners 44 whereby the clamping member 34 is rigr ly secured to the base 28. The clamping member 34 also includes a curved upper portion which curves inwardly and terminates in a jaw The clamping member 36 also includes a straight lower portion 48 which is bifurcated to form a centrally located notch 58 and a pair of spaced parallel legs 52. The lower ends of the legs 52 straddle the arm 32 of the base 28 and are pivotally secured thereto by a horizontal pivot pin 54 which permits the pivoting of the clamping member 36 with respect to the base 28. The clamping member 36 also includes an upwardly and inwardly extended upper portion which terminates a jaw 56,. the jaw 56 being adapted to cooperate withthe jaw 86 ofthe clamping member 34 to clamp an article.

In order that the jaw 56 may be moved toe wards the jaw 46 to clamp an article. therebetween, the straight portion 48 of the clamping member 36 has secured thereto; one. end ot a strap 58 by a fastener 68. tends through the notch 58 in the clamping member 36 and towards the clamping member 34 where it passes through the corresponding notch. All. therein. The strap 58. passes, over a. transversely extending pin 62. which extends between the legs 42- oi the clamping member 34 adjacent the upper end of the notch 40. to. form a gnideway. The. other end of the strap. 58. is provided with. a loop 6.4 which. is preferably formed of metal and adapted to engage. with a lever 66 for tensioning the same. The lever 66.- is in. the form of an, elongated substantially rectangular cross sectional member having one end thereof pivotally connected to. the clamping member 34. by a transverselyextending pivot pin 68... the end of the lever 66 being disposed within the. notch 40.. The underside of the. lever 66 is provided with a plurality of transversely extending grooves 18 in which the loop. 64 may be selectively engaged for clamping various. thicknesses of, articles between the jaws 4.6. and 56. In order that the lever 66 may be. locked in a clamped posi-. tion, an L eshaped latch member 1.2. has one end thereof nivotallv secured to. the bench portion :0. and has, the other arm thereof extending horizontally thereabove for overlying the other end of. the lever 6.6. Inv order. that the clamping. members, 3.4. and 36 and, their associated jaws 46 5,6, respectively,.may bebiased. to non-clarrm ing positions, a coil spring is disposed between the. straight portions 38,. and 48. or the. respective clamping members. The coil spring overlies. the. central portion of; the strap 58' and is secured to the clamping member 34 by a. small loop. 16. The loop. 16 braces a. portion of the coil spring 14 and is. secured to. the clamping member 3.4 by a; fastener 18.. In order: that the posi-- tionv of. the vise portion. [2- with respect to the central portion. [0 may be. varied, the base 28 is pivotally. secured. to. the. board l8. by a centrally located fastener 88 which extends up through The strap. 58. ex-

4. the board l8 and the base 28. The fastener 88 has a countersunk head 82 which is countersunk in the bottom of the board l8 and mounts a Wing nut 84 which overlies and engages the base 28.

It will be understood that due to the use of the fastener 88 to secure the base 28 to the central portion I8, the vise portion 12 may be rotated to the desired angle or if desired may be removed from the bench portion and held in one hand or mounted on some other suitable support. Also, while the vise construction has been illustrated and described as secured to the leg of a person... it. will be understood that the board I8 may be secured to any desired member.

The. Operation of this device will be understood from the foregoing description of the details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modifications of the device. varying in minor details from the embodiment of. the de-.

vice illustrated and described. here, may be. re.- stored to. without departure from the. spirit and scope or this. invention. as. definedin. the appended claims.

Having described the claimed as new is:

A vise comprising a bench, a vise structure carried by said bench, said vise structure including, a, base having a pair of clamping members. extending upwardly therefrom, said clamp.- ing. members having. inwardly sloping cooperating. jaws at. the. upper ends thereof, means urging said jaws. apart, means. for moving said jaws together, one of said clamping members being rigidly secured to said base. the other of said clamping members. being pivotally connected, to said base, said means for moving said jaws. to=

invention, what is gether comprising. a lever pivotally connected to.

said rigidly secured clamping member, a. flexible member connecting said lever to said pivotally connected clamping member, and said flexible.

member having a. looped end portion selectively;

engageable with notches in said lever.

BENJAMIN E. Brenton/ References Cited in the fil'e of this patent UNITED STATES PA'EENTS. 

